Hey Red, is space exploration worth it?

Hearing Buzz Aldrin talk at a book signing last night did little to relieve the nagging concern that there may be better ways to invest in our future than space exploration.

I went to hear Buzz Aldrin talk at a book signing last night. Make no mistake about it, he and the whole Apollo 11 crew are still genuine heroes, yet the event did little to relieve the nagging concern that there may be better ways to invest in our future than space exploration.

Meeting Mr. Aldrin was an honor I never imagined I'd have. I grew up in a small town on the west coast of Ireland. I was at the rear end of a family of 11 and we weren't exactly well off. I still see my father on his bike going from job to job with his tool bag on the back, or wheeling planks through crowds on the sidewalk. As my older brother often recalls, "We didn't have a pot to pee in, nor a window to throw it out of."

Later, things got better and he got a car. Also, the older ones moved out so the pantry shelves weren't always empty.

During those 'early' years I spent a lot of time in the town library, reading science fiction and looking at encyclopedias. Space and its exploration were strong among many themes in my reading and I, like many, always stopped dead at this picture (and still do):

Buzz Aldrin amidst the "magnificent desolation".

There's just something about it: the desolation, the anonymity of the face mask reflecting the achievement of the Eagle's landing, the emptiness of space behind him, the sheer defying impossibility of where he was standing for the first time and fulfilling the dream of billions that have come before him down through the ages.

So, last night, while in the throes of autographing his new book, Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home From The Moon, he took a second to look up at who he was signing for and was taken aback to find our two kids smiling shyly at him. My young fella has bright red hair so that that naturally caught his eye and he asked spontaneously with a big smile, "Hey Red, how ya doin'." Well, I don't know who was grinning more: me or my wee fella. The second man to step on the moon called out to my son: how cool is that!

Aldrin signing for my son (he's the red 'patch' in the corner).

It's that sense of awe for real heroes like Aldrin, Armstrong, and all the others before and after, that makes this next question particularly difficult: It's been 40 years: Is it still worth it?

Heresy, I know, especially before an engineering audience, but help me out here: Putting the achievement itself aside, is there anything that's really come from space exploration that's really helped us in a practical sense? Getting 'out there' has forced us to push the limits of materials science and engineering, for sure. But what's the upside to future exploration? How will it advance the human condition? I know there are answers, but do they justify the expense and effort when there are so many other projects afoot where achieving the objectives clearly has long-lasting implications ?

So, here's my question to you: if you had $100 billion, and you had to advance the human condition, would you spend it on:

1: Decoding the human genome

2: Researching and mapping the inner workings of the brain (conscious, subconscious)

3: Nuclear fusion

4: Going to Mars (which Mr. Aldrin is working on)

If none of these appeal to you, what do you think would be the best way to spend $100 billion? Let me know. I'll add one or two more to the list, if need be, but these come to mind right now. I can be reached at pmannion@techinsights.com. Or on Twitter as Borg99.

In the meantime, I'm going to take another look at that photo above. Have a great weekend!

Robots in space! Not people. Look at how proud we all are and how involved we feel with Spirit and Opportunity on Mars, and how much they've done.
The wealth in minerals and energy available in space is almost beyond imagining. Building better robots for space have immediate benefits to robots for us here on earth. Compare robotic and human spaceflight budgets, against the benefits gained by each. What a great boost to EEs and our industry if we put the funding for human spaceflight into robotic programs instead!

Personally I think Human space exploration is a waste of money until we come up with a far more efficient means of propulsion. It's sickening, every time I see a space vehicle launch, that most of that weight is fuel, and how much of it is needed to lift something into orbit. I think we first need to stop using propulsion technology from the 50s that hasn't changed. If not, all we are doing is re-inventing the wheel.
I would put the research money into nuclear fusion, which if harnessed, would be a far more efficient energy source.
With respect to Earth, I do like the idea above, that is using Solar power as a sustainable energy source. So much of that energy goes untapped in our deserts, yet if we continue to rely on fossil fuels until it's all out of the ground, my fear is that we would have ruined the planet by then with all that extra CO2 in the atmosphere, then what would we do?

1. Nuclear fusion for power--excellent choice as long as it results in useful power, not a lab toy.
2. Decoding human genome--good if it allows us to begin using the laws of physics to approach the practice of medicine.
3. Zero-point energy research--another source of power.
4. Workings of the mind--secondary value to me.
5. The SSTO that can put up 50 tons twice a week--good idea if it can get to geosync orbit.
6. Use it to pay the 535 members of Congress to send amendments to the states to (a) balance the budget (with real teeth in this one), (b) stop using the tax code as a toy, (c) properly maintain every capital investment, (d) guarantee funding for border protection and management, and (e) publicly fund elections and cut the election cycle to 12 weeks. If we could do these things, we'd eventually have money to do all the rest.

id spend the money on saving our planet (I'd give Steve's project a go with a small 15 billion investment) but since most dont want to make sacrifices to safeguard generations to come, why not pop off to another planet and have a look around

I'm in favor of continued investment in manned space travel for all the reasons mentioned above plus one other. Eventually, (could be tomorrow, could be thousands of years from now) the Earth will again experience the calamity of a large asteroid or comet impact that will likely eliminate all human life.
We can't count on being able to prevent that impact (although some defenses would be prudent) and we need to begin the process of establishing a permanent colony at least on the moon for the human race to survive. Now is as good of time as any to get started.

1 Decoding the human genome. Will be done with or without that extra cash. So, no.
2. Ditto (to some extent, although it needs more cash)
3. Nuclear fusion - yes, as long as it is not wasted on Tokamaks
4. Going to Mars - a big NO.
Sticking with the space theme, the best thing to do with $100billion is to put it up as a giant X-Prize for the first SSTO to put 50 tonnes into LEO twice in one weeks. If not takers after 7 years, Fusion gets a shot at the X-Prize

I have a hard time thinking that going to Mars might be worth it to the world's citizens right now. I do think it's a great human endeavour, and would be excellent for pushing a group of engineers to do their absolute best, but the price is a bit high. I was speaking to a colleague and if the government were to say "we're going to put an astronaut on Mars in three years but we're going to be raising taxes by 3% on everything", I do not think that people would vote for that platform. I may sound philosophical in saying this, but I do believe it is our destiny to leave this planet and colonize other worlds. I just think it's still a bit away, and we'll need a little push from the economics side of things. Perhaps some sort of energy source will be found on Mars that will make it financially feasible to go there and harvest it, or at least a rich government might be willing to try (think Spain and Columbus). Something for the future...
Until that time, my $100 billion is going straight into water desalination and solar power. There are many desert nations/regions that are relatively close to oceans and mucho salt water (Australia, California, North Africa, Middle East) and I can just picture solar powered desalination plants, miles of water pipes, and solar powered pumps completely transforming the desert into an oasis. Seems achievable.
What do you (the audience) think of space travel, and what you would you do with $100 billion dollars?
Steve Bitton
Message was edited by: Tigercat

I have a hard time thinking that going to Mars might be worth it to the world's citizens right now. I do think it's a great human endeavour, and would be excellent for pushing a group of engineers to do their absolute best, but the price is a bit high. I was speaking to a colleague and if the government were to say "we're going to put an astronaut on Mars in three years?but we're going to be raising taxes by 3% on everything", I do not think that people would vote for that platform. I may sound philosophical in saying this, but I do believe it is our destiny to leave this planet and colonize other worlds. I just think it's still a bit away, and we'll need a little push from the economics side of things. Perhaps some sort of energy source will be found on Mars that will make it financially feasible to go there and harvest it, or at least a rich government might be willing to try (think Spain and Columbus). Something for the future?
Until that time, my $100 billion is going straight into water desalination and solar power. There are many desert nations/regions that are relatively close to oceans and mucho salt water (Australia, California, North Africa, Middle East) and I can just picture solar powered desalination plants, miles of water pipes, and solar powered pumps completely transforming the desert into an oasis. Seems achievable.
Anyhoo, there's my two cents.
Steve Bitton